Adventures of Link 02-5 : Minish Side Quest
by Kiwi Lee Scipio
Summary: Riding off the excitement of finding he was right that Hyrule wasn't the only populated area of the world, Oto learns of some small creatures that were living in Faron Woods. Taking his friends on a picnic to find them, what will the four find? Just a short story that takes place shortly after Embers and Snowflakes.
1. Chapter 0

Chapter 0

Zelda felt fear course her veins as she gripped the reins in her right hand, a baby boy in her left. Glancing down at the boy to make sure he was alright, his crying came to her ears. Turning to see how close their assailant was, Zelda was panicked to see a bright purple eye chasing her with the wind on its side. She turned back in the direction they were heading and ordered her horse to go faster. She clutched the crying child closer to her chest, not sure who he was or where he had come from but knew she must protect him.

She found herself coming up to a town, hoping for sanction within its walls. She rode up to the gate and burst through, passing a guard in a uniform she didn't recognize. Instead of safety, Zelda heard a crackling laugh coming from above. She looked up and saw a pig face on a man with red fiery hair falling onto the town.

A blast sounded, throwing her from her horse. She held the child close to her chest as she rolled away from the falling horse, struck down by some sort of explosion. She stopped on her side and looked back at the horse only to see it dead in the town center.

She heard a male cry, turning with the child still clutched in her arms to realize the man was the child she had been carrying and he was now dressed in a green tunic, holding a sword above his head as he shouted unknown words towards the pig beast.

Before she could think what that could mean she found herself sinking into the coble stone ground. Flailing her legs and arm, trying to get free of the quagmire, she found herself submerged under the street.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Zelda awoke with a start, her fingernails gripping her pillow as she struggled to calm her breathing. Bringing the pillow close in an embrace, she struggled to remember what scared her so much. She figured it had to have been her dream but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was.

"Hey Zelda, you-oh!"

Zelda turned to see Link had walked into her room, the sixteen year old dressed in his civilian clothes on his day off with his sword strapped across his back. The teen had turned his eyes up to the ceiling as he said, "I thought you'd be up by now, sorry. We'll be waiting for you down in the stables."

"Hang on," Zelda said, stopping the teen from turning and leaving the room.

Link turned his eyes to her as Zelda sat up in bed, not bothering to cover herself any more than her nightgown was doing.

Zelda ran a hand through her mess of blonde bangs hanging in front of her eyes as she thought how to ask what she wanted to know. "Have you ever had a nightmare but couldn't remember it when you woke up?"

"Yeah," Link nodded. "I'd wake up running out of my room but no idea what scared me. Talon used to make fun of me for it. That's what you had?"

Zelda nodded her head as she looked down at her lap. "For some reason I want to say you were there or…" She shook her head. "Never mind, I don't even know what I dreamt." She looked up at him and said, "I'll be down in a bit."

"Okay," Link said, not sure about leaving the girl. He turned and went out the door, closing it behind himself before leaning against the wall. It'd been a few months since the incident with the Twinrova and it still hurt him when she wore something that showed the scare permanently slashed in between her breasts up to her collar bone. He should've been able to stop those witches before they got that far, but he'd been too slow. If it had not have been for Saint Helan of Arcadia, she would've died in that.

Link let out a sigh, trying to remember what Grandfather kept telling him. It was in the past and he can't change that. He pushed himself off the wall and headed down the stairs to the main part of the castle. He made his way to the stables to find Mido and Oto sitting on a bench just outside.

"Well?" Mido asked, the first to notice Link walking over. He quickly got to his feet, expecting to be off soon.

"She just woke up, she'll be down in a bit," Link offered. He looked at Oto and asked, "Where's the basket?"

"Already attached to the horse," Oto said, throwing his thumb behind him towards the stables. "It was a good idea to get her to have a day off, but should we really be here?"

"Oto," Link growled, knowing where his friend was taking this.

Oto held his hands up to show he meant peace as he said, "I'm just saying."

"There's nothing between us," Link pointed out for the umpteenth time as he looked away from his friend dropping his hand. "Anyway, she's queen, she'll have to marry some royal."

"Like Zelda's ever done anything by the rules," Mido said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Does that mean he's actually admitting it?" Oto asked, looking up towards Mido as if to act like he was gossiping.

"You two sound like a bunch of midwives," Link said, eyeing the two. "Isn't there anything else you two think about?"

"It's either this or recipes," Mido said, throwing an eye at Oto.

"Or sword technique," Oto said, looking at Mido as he stood up.

"Then how are you two friends?" Zelda asked, still braiding her hair as she walked out of the side door.

"We have a few common grounds," Mido offered, dropping his arms.

"So where are we going?" Zelda asked, tying off her braid before tossing it behind her shoulder. "All I've been told is a picnic."

"Just out to Faron Woods," Oto said, leading the way into the stables.

"What rumor are you following to send us out there?" Link asked, knowing his friend far too well. He turned away from Oto's already packed horse and found Epona's stall. Opening the door, he petted her muzzle while quietly offering her a, "hey girl."

"Well since I was right about there being other people beyond our small little section of the world," Oto said as Link pulled off Epona's saddle from its spot on the fence and put it on her back.

"Bragging much?" Mido asked, already sitting on his own horse as he waited for Link and Zelda to finish saddling their horses.

Link reached under Epona and tightened down the saddle before unstrapping his baldric and attaching his sword to the right side of the saddle. He turned around and reached for her bit and harness as he offered, "Let him have that," He gave Epona the bit and added, "No one else believed him."

"Thank you."

Link got on Epona and strung the harness around so he held the reins in his hands. He looked over at Oto as he saw Zelda getting on her horse, noticing she had grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows to attach to her horse's saddle, and gave a small flick of the reins to start Epona out of the stables. "Well?" Link asked, waiting for the rest of Oto's story.

"A few weeks ago, someone came into the Milk Café claiming they saw a Minish," Oto said.

"Minish are just children's stories," Mido threw off as the four road towards the castle gate.

"Grandfather always said they were real," Link pointed out.

"Well, we'll just have to see," Zelda said, riding around to take the lead. "If we're lucky, we'll find one."

"What are they supposed to look like?" Mido asked. "All I remember is that only good children are supposed to see them."

"They're supposed to be the size of a thumb," Link remembered.

"If I remember the stories right, there's three types but the ones we'd be looking for are forest Minish," Oto said. "They've got ears like us but pointy noses and fingers on their feet as well as their hands. Feather like tails that are as long as they are tall and normally dress in grass blades or leaves."

"You've been looking into them again, haven't you?" Link asked, throwing a look over his shoulder as he was surprised his friend remembered so much.

"I asked your grandfather for help," Oto admitted as the four waved towards Jothan on duty guarding the castle gate. "Apparently in the old books they were called Picori."

"I wonder why the name change," Zelda mumbled more to herself.

"Actually the books Grandfather has are pretty detailed about them," Oto said, reaching into a pouch on his saddle as he ordered his horse to walk beside Link's. He pulled out a book and handed it to Link, adding, "He said you could actually read this, but there's story about some hero that helped them when they were forced into our world."

"They don't belong here?" Mido asked, surprised.

Link took the book and rested it on the back of Epona's head to flip through the pages, seeing it in the script from before Skyloft. Knowing he shouldn't let Epona drive herself through town at least, he closed the book for now and slid it into the pouch on the left of his saddle.

"No, apparently there was some battle and they ran here for safety," Oto said. "The book's supposed to say more about it, Grandfather was getting tired by that point so I said I'd get Link to read it."

"Thanks," Link said, half meaning it because he was now curious.

"I'm starting to worry about the old man," Mido said as Oto slowed back down to ride behind Link and Zelda.

"Well he is, what a hundred and something?" Oto said.

"One hundred twenty-five," Link said.

"In a few months he'll be the oldest living Hylian ever to have lived since we started keeping record," Zelda said, remembering something she had found.

"What, the old king didn't care to destroy that record?" Mido asked, surprised.

"Actually he did," Zelda informed. "Lady Impa just found copies in a collection a family donated to the castle library a few months ago."

"Still, anyone to pass their one hundredth birthday is old enough," Oto offered. "Just to know someone that old is enough."

"Doesn't your cucco count?" Link asked, throwing a glance at Oto. "She's six our years old, that's gotta be close to a hundred in cucco years."

"That's sixty-seven in cucco years," Oto offered, "She's got a few more years."

"You don't have any grandparents, do you?" Mido asked, just realizing it as he looked at his friend.

"It's just me and Mom," Oto explained, looking at the sheikah. "I never knew her parents and I don't know anything about my father's side."

"Nothing?" Mido asked, surprised.

Oto shrugged. "Link overheard his mom and mine talking about my father, saying he had come past the ranch one day a few years ago, but he left before I was born. Link's family actually helped raise me before I could help in the café."

"I always thought Mother and Mrs. Karimi were childhood friends or something," Link offered.

"So you two are like brothers then," Zelda said with a smile as she looked over at Link.

"Does that mean I'm related to Talon and Trina?" Oto asked.

Link let out a laugh. "They'd be _thrilled_ to think they had a second older brother," he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Come on," Zelda said, taking a glance at the morning light above them. "If we want to make it to Faron Woods by noon time, we better hurry up."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey, with good reason. I look up to the man," Zelda defended.

"When she was twelve, she had found an old copy of a print from his days in the royal guard and had it posted in her room," Mido said with a smile.

"It's funny to think of Grandfather having fans," Oto said, taking a glance towards Link.

Link smiled back at Oto. He had already heard about Zelda's obsession when she was younger about his great-grandfather, as well as having seen the old print she still had rolled up and tucked out of the way. He looked back the way they were riding, already have found the woods but were now keeping an eye out for a clearing. Glancing upwards, Link could see the sun was almost directly atop them but no one had claimed to be all that hungry yet. Letting Zelda take the lead in finding the place to eat, he pulled out the book Oto had gotten from Grandfather and rested it against the back of Epona's head. He flipped through the book, seeing it was mostly about a great battle of monsters and humans. He found a picture of a man dressed in green, holding up a sword with little mice-like creatures with feather tails descending from the Tri-force in the sky. Looking to the adjacent page, he read '_The Hero of Men is the title given to the Hylian who used the Picori Blade during the plague of monsters during the years of Moneo's rein. During the Land of Hylia's early development, the day came when many powerful beasts appeared and began to lay siege to the kingdom. Just when the land was on the verge of destruction, the Picori came from the sky and gave the Hero of Men a magical sword. Using the sword now named the Picori Blade, the Hero of Men successfully defeated the monsters and drove darkness away from the land.' _

"How come all the heroes of the past only get remembered by their title," Link mumbled aloud only to realize he had interrupted Mido. He looked up at the three, seeing them staring at him, and mumbled, "Sorry."

"Well, since you're already in the book, maybe you can read to us something about these Minish," Mido said. "What to look for while tracking? Are they more animal or human? That type of thing."

Link looked back at the book and flipped back to a page he first saw earlier that showed a picture in detail of a Minish holding a four leafed clover. "Oto described them pretty well, according to this picture the author drew," Link said, looking at the words below the picture. He quickly scanned the chapter, reading about city and mountain Minish and said, "They seem more human like in their actions, having villages of Minish spread all through-out the land of Hylia." He flipped a few pages only to see a drawing of a tree stump that held a star like hole in it. Skimming through the words, he quickly stopped on the word for shrinking, letting out a sound of amazement.

"What is it?" Oto asked.

"Apparently there's a way to shrink down to their size," Link said, reading through the page. "While standing on a stump, as pictured here," Link read aloud, translating making his words slow, "say these words in the Picori's own language." He leaned closer to the book, trying to read the characters the writer used as they weren't in an order he was used to. "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi1?" Link tried his best, unsure if he was pronouncing it right. He looked at the letters again, unused to seeing ni and gi next to each other with the character in between showing they were supposed to be one.

"That sure is a strange sounding language," Mido commented.

"No stranger than ours probably sounds to them," Zelda pointed out.

"Aride me!" a young male voice called out as the sound of someone moving fast through the brush could be heard off to the group's left.

Link quickly stowed the book back in the pouch on Epona's saddle, switching it for the sword he had brought along. Movement of a tree branch caught his eye, Link quickly pulling Epona's reins in that direction. "Here, just behind this bush," Link said to his friends coming up behind him. Epona stepped over the bush only to rear back in surprise as a large red monster burred past. Link fought to keep his balance as he called out, "Whoa girl!"

"It's an octorok!" Zelda exclaimed, quickly knocking an arrow on her bow and taking out the monster.

Epona stopped bucking as the monster disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, letting Link have control again. He turned towards his friends and asked, "Where in Hylia's name did an octorok appear from. I thought we finally got rid of those stupid things."

"Where's that kid that was being attacked?" Mido asked, hoping off his horse.

Link sheathed his sword as Zelda called out, "Over here!" He dismounted and walked over to where Zelda crouched, standing beside Mido and Oto as Zelda tried, "Hey, we won't hurt you. It's safe now."

"You sur'?" the young voice asked.

"We'll defeat anymore if they show up," Mido promised.

Zelda took a step back as the bush moved only for Link to freeze at what stood before them.

A mouse looking bi-pedal walked out from around the bush it hid in, standing only as tall as a ten year old as it held a red cap in its hands. A red feathery tail brushed passed the bush as it stepped out and gave the four a smile. "T'ank you," it said, giving each a bow in turn.

"You're a Minish!" Oto exclaimed.

Link gave his friend a look, the teen wide eyed and a large grin plastered on his face.

The Minish let out a laugh, covering his mouth with a paw as he put his hat back on his head. "An' you be 'ylian, right?"

"Right," Zelda said, nodding her head. She opened her mouth to say something more when a growl interrupted her.

A sheepish grin appeared on the Minish's face as he looked down. "So'ie, tiz noo-meal," he offered.

"Speaking of noon-meal, you want to join us for lunch?" Link offered, starting to feel hungry himself.

"I'm s'posed ta help you, as t'anks," the Minish said, shaking his head.

"Count your conversation as thanks," Oto said.

Mido jumped back on Caphrin and pulled the reins to turn his horse around. "Come on, I noticed a clearing just over this way," he said, looking through the trees.

"You can ride with me," Link offered, throwing his thumb towards Epona.

"T'ank you," the Minish said with a nod of his head.

Link grabbed hold of the Minish, him weighing nothing more than Talon or Trina, and swung him up to the saddle. Making sure he was sitting on the saddle rise, Link put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself up to sit behind the creature. He glanced over at Zelda and Oto, seeing they were now on their horses, and pulled Epona to follow Mido along the path. "My name's Link," he said as they road along to where Mido led them. Pointing out his friends he continued, "That's Oto, Zelda, and the grump in the front is Mido."

"Don't introduce me as a grump," Mido called over his shoulder.

"Well, he's not most of the time," Zelda said, riding at Epona's flank.

"My name Tizari."

"Well, glad to make your acquaintance, Tizari," Zelda said, politely nodding towards the Minish.

Link turned his attention forwards as Mido led them around a large redwood and into an even larger clearing where the tree's leaves blocked out most of the sun. The coverage prevented the grass from growing too tall, leaving the clearing look almost like someone was taking care of it. Link road Epona to a side of the clearing, following behind Mido still, and pulled her to a stop. He dismounted before helping Tizari off and asked, "How'd you learn Hylian? You speak it well for our people to not be in communication for so long."

"I 'ead lots," Tizari offered.

"Oh, read," Link said, the Minish's Hylian a little hard to understand. The creature gave Link a nod of his head, getting Link to add, "If you want, we could help you get better."

"P'ease," Tizari said with a greater nod of his head.

"Get over here and help me get this stuff put out," Oto ordered grabbing Link's attention to his friends.

Link let out a laugh at the sight before him. Zelda had dropped to lay in the grass and Mido sneaking up on some unseen bug while Oto struggled to balance the picnic basket in his arms as he found the blanket stuck in his saddle. "I'm coming," Link offered. He stepped over to Chigari's side as Oto stepped back and looked at how the blanket was stuck. He untied a rope holding it onto the saddle and found a lose thread had tangled itself into a rough edge of Oto's old saddle. After fighting with it for a few moments, Link finally freed the blanket and pulled it off the saddle. He turned around with it in his arms and asked, "Okay, where you want this?"

"Here's fine," Zelda said, still laying on the grass.

Link stepped over to her and looked down to see her laying with her eyes closed and her braid snaking above her in the grass. "I'm not gonna put it over you," Link retorted. He flicked out the blanket and let it fall to the ground beside her, kneeling down to straighten out the edges.

Oto sat the basket in the center of the blanket and started emptying it of sandwiches and other items unidentified by their napkin wrappings. He looked up and just passed Link to ask, "What do… I mean, what would you like to eat?"

"Do you have any nuts or berries?" Tizari asked.

Oto pulled out a used cracker box and smiled, "Will do."

Link went ahead and sat down beside where Zelda still laid and looked back at Tizari, patting the space on his right side for him to sit there. The Minish took a seat as Oto started passing out wood plates and tin cups. Noticing there were enough even with the added party, Link commented, "Glad you're always prepared, Oto."

"A few good things to learn working in a café," Oto said, pulling out a water pouch from the bottom of the basket. He looked over at Link and continued, "always be prepared. Though," he turned his attention to the pouch as he untied the knot around its neck and pulled out the cork, "if we had found two more people instead of just one, there wouldn't be enough."

"Mido, have you caught that rhino beetle yet?" Zelda asked as she sat up, her braid flinging up and resting in front of her shoulder.

What sounded like an impact against wood turned the four to look over to where the horses were grazing, noticing Mido holding his head as a bug flew past him. With a scowl on his face, he pushed himself to his feet and walked over. "I almost had it," he grumbled as he sat down beside Oto with his arms crossed over his chest.

"There's plenty others," Oto offered, pouring lemonade into each of the tin cups.

"Why da you cole't 'ugs?" Tizari asked.

Mido dropped his arms, reaching forward to take a sandwich triangle still wrapped in paper only to receive a smack on the hand by Oto. Nursing his hand, Mido explained, "It's just fun. It's a small hunt and if I happen upon a rare bug, there's people who will pay for them."

"Oh, like leaf p'essin'," Tizan offered.

"Well, there's no hunt in catching a leaf," Mido said.

"There's Minish who'll pay for certain leaves?" Zelda asked.

Tizari nodded his head. "'Ust t'e ot'er day, my inkosi2 got wor' o'a beau'iful patterned Cyprus leaf. It ta be sol' for a…" Tizari pulled a face, trying to come up with the word for it. He turned to Link and asked, "How'd you say fro' sprin' ta t'e next sprin'?"

"Year?" Link offered.

"For a year wages," Tizari said, finishing his story.

"I wish I could find someone to pay that much for a bug I find," Mido said as Oto let out a whistle.

"What's an inkosi?" Zelda asked.

Link watched Oto finished unwrapping the sandwiches and place them in the center of the blanket, tossing the paper aside as his hunger started getting the better of him.

"He's t'e one who'll be mad at me ounce I return," Tizari admitted.

"Oh, so you're not supposed to be out here?" Zelda asked.

"You can eat now," Oto said, motioning his hands towards the sandwiches and box of mixed fruit as he pointedly looked at Mido.

"Finally," Mido let out, reaching for the top sandwich wedge.

Zelda leaned in front of Link to spoon out a few raspberries from the box as Tizari said, "No, no one's sup'osed ta leave t'e village on t'eir own an' no one's eve' sup'osed ta make visible ta any o' t'e large word." Zelda leaned back, letting Tizari carefully take hold of the spoon in his paw and shovel the berries onto his plate.

"I hope we don't get you in trouble," Link said, grabbing a sandwich for himself.

"I knew wha' I was ge'ing' inta when I 'ead t'at ol' book," Tizari said with a shrug. He let out a sigh, putting the spoon back and sat back as he admitted, "I'll beh lucky ta eve' leave ma room again."

"We could talk to your inkosi," Zelda offered. "It wasn't your fault that octorok attacked."

"T'at'd be kind o' you, bu' sayin' t'e incantation 'ould be difficoult for you," Tizari said, shaking his head.

Link quickly swallowed the bite he had taken before saying, "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi1." He looked down at the Minish and asked, "How was that?"

Tizari stared up at Link, his beady black eyes wide as his mouth hung open in surprise. "How'd you…"

"I read lots too," Link offered with a laugh.

"Let us finish our food and we'll go and talk to him," Mido offered.

"To think, I'll get to see a Minish village," Oto let out as a large smile pulled at his cheeks once more.

"Don't let him scare you," Zelda tried, pointing her tin cup towards her friend. "He just gets a little excited about other cultures."

Tizari looked over at Oto and gave him a smile before popping a blueberry in his mouth.

1: I used google's zulu as the language of the Minish. "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi" is supposed to mean "shrink me down, reduce in size".

2: inkosi= master/sir/lord


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Did you lose the stump?" Mido asked from the back of the line as the four of them trekked through dense brush.

"So'ie, t'at octorok chased me fat'er t'an I t'ought," Tizari admitted, leading them under a low lying branch.

Link pulled the branch back, holding it until Zelda behind him had a hold on it before letting it go. They had left their horses in the clearing along with the picnic supplies and had on them their weapons, Link holding onto the old book about the Minish. Remembering what he had read, Link asked their guide, "If the Minish helped us so many years ago, why are you forbidden to talk to us?"

"I t'ink it wa' 'cause we were forgo'en," Tizari offered. "Aft' m'ancestors helped yours, t'ere was a lot o' goin' back an' fort' bu' t'an your ancestors stopped comin'. The inkosi1 a' t'e time decided ta do wha' 'e coul' an' blocked t'e doorway, it only openin' ever' hundred sprin's now, bu' 'e left t'ese li'le portals t'at can be accessed by stum's or broken pots."

"Broken pots?" Oto echoed.

"Only certain pots will work, 'cause you have ta stand on t'e object you're using as a portal," Tizari tried to explain. "T'ere t'is!"

Link stepped over a log before looking past the Minish, seeing him walking to an oak tree's stump.

Tizari jumped up onto the stump and looked it over, nodding his head as the humans walked over to stand around him.

"More than one at a time can go through, right?" Mido asked. "Because I don't think I could ever say the enchantment even close to how it's supposed to sound."

"As many as fit on t'e portal can go a' a time," Tizari explained.

"We could go in two sets," Link offered.

"I'm going with Tizari!" Oto exclaimed, jumping up to stand beside the Minish.

Mido threw Link and Zelda a look before saying, "I'll go with them. Make sure Oto doesn't do something stupid before you join us."

Zelda covered her mouth as a laugh escaped, covering up Oto's exclamation.

Mido stepped onto the stump and squished himself close, putting an arm around Oto to keep his balance as foot space was sparse. He looked down at the Minish and said, "Okay, ready."

Link watched in amazement as Tizari sang the words the teen had only just learned. Above them appeared a blue magic, characters he had never seen formed out of the magic and danced around the three. Before their eyes, the three were pulled down into the stump as their size was shrunk. Link leaned forward, careful for the remaining magic still in the air, and tried to look down in the hole. As the magic disappeared, he could make out three tiny forms landing on mushrooms inside the stump.

"You ready?" Zelda asked, getting Link to take a step back.

He took in a breath and nodded his head, praying he didn't mess up the words. He didn't know if something bad would happen here but he had heard of a few explosions caused when Wizard Pilock made mistakes in his own spell casting. He let Zelda step up onto the stump first before joining her. The thought to wrap his arm around her for protection flashed through his mind only to quickly be dismissed. "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi2," Link said, watching as the magic characters surrounded them. The sight of the world growing in size around him started to make him sick only for gravity to take hold and force him down through the hole in the stump. He let out a scream as he fell onto a mushroom that proved to be bouncy. Flinging onto a lower mushroom, Link sprawled forward and skidded to a stop on the dirt floor.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed.

Link pushed himself up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked up to see Zelda holding out her hand for him. "Thanks," Link said, taking the hand and rising to his feet. Wanting to keep her hand, he let go and turned to the other three.

"Remember, now t'at we're tiny, t'ings t'at would be not'ing ta you migh' be dangerous," Tizari said, leading the way out of the stump. "I don't t'ink 'tis sup'osed ta rain, so at leas' you won't have ta deal with t'at."

"Rain drops would be the size of my head," Oto realized, eyes wide as he looked around at the blades of grass that could be mistaken for trees.

Link let out a laugh, following behind his old friend. "Oto, you're like a kid in a candy store," Link said.

"I can't help it," Oto said, throwing a glance over his shoulder. He rushed forward to be beside Tizari and asked, "Is everything made out of grass, leaves, and twigs?"

"You mean t'e village?" Tizari confirmed. Oto gave him a nod, letting him say, "We use wha' building materials we can, like you do, I sup'osed."

"That was a log!" Oto pointed out as a wood tunnel appeared in their path.

Mido threw a look back at Link and Zelda, giving them a shrug.

"Let him have his fun," Zelda chastised. "It's a new experience."

The five entered the tunnel, Link instantly noticing cobwebs thick on the walls.

"The spider that spun that could be a pet!" Oto exclaimed.

"I t'ink t'e spide' t'at made t'at is a pet," Tizari realized.

"Aw! I'd love to see it," Oto said, excitement evident on the teen.

"How come you weren't like this with the Arcadians?" Mido asked.

"Because the Arcadians aren't so cute," Oto admitted, looking at his friends to show his face had turned red. He stopped walking and asked, "That's weird for me to admit, isn't it?"

"No, of course not," Link quickly said as Zelda agreed with him.

"Perfectly normal."

"I want to be there when you tell Pepper about this," Mido said, walking passed them and under a knot hole that let in light. "She's gonna be jealous thinking you think the Minish are cuter than her."

"I never said that!" Oto exclaimed, running after Mido. "Don't tell her that!"

"You are weird," Tizari mumbled. Sharply he turned to Link and Zelda, remembering they were right behind him, and quickly added, "Uh, so'ie. I mean-"

"He is weird, they both are," Zelda interrupted.

"Like you're not," Link retorted with a smile.

"What?" Zelda asked, stepping back in mock shame as she put a hand to her chest.

"I'm not the one who wanted someone else's grandfather as their own," Link said, smiling as a playful mood could be felt in the tunnel.

"You know," Zelda started, leading Link and Tizari towards the end of the tunnel where Mido and Oto waited for them. "I really think he wouldn't mind if I told him, now that I know him better."

"Everyone calls him Grandfather anyway," Link said with a shrug.

"You are a close group, right?" Tizari asked, looking up at the two.

"You could say," Link said, the idea never fully realizing itself in his mind.

"Well, the four of us have gone through a lot together," Zelda explained. "Some good, some bad, but it made us all closer for it."

"I wish I 'ad friends like you," Tizari admitted.

"How old are you, Tizari?" Link asked.

"Eight sprin' to – oh, years," Tizari said, quickly remembering the new to him Hylian word.

"You've got time to find true friends then," Link said. "I lucked out, growing up with one really good friend. And then that luck added on last year." He gave a glance to Zelda, smiling at her beauty even in the dark. Looking back at Tizari, he added, "One day you'll find people you can trust and be crazy around."

"If only I wasn't always in trainin'," Tizari said.

"Even your Inkosi has friends," Zelda said. "Even if it is just one."

Tizari looked up at her and smiled as they broke out of the tunnel, sunlight coloring them once again.

"Link! Zelda! Look at this!" Oto called out, turning the two's attention farther down the path. He was kneeling at the water's edge as Mido was climbing up a flower stalk.

Link rushed forward, worry in case there was trouble up ahead. He slowed to a stop beside Oto as he rose to his feet, and took in the pond before them.

"They've got a leaf boat-bridge system," Oto said, taking in the pond as a three edged leaf floated lazily by.

Mido dropped to the ground and walked over as Zelda and Tizari came to a stop at the water's edge. "There's ropes or something under the water keeping the leaves moving," Mido explained. "It's really cool."

"A few bridges 'as been built but t'ey always washe' out," Tizari offered. "T'is pulley boat 'as lasted a generation now, only t'e boats have need replacing." He watched one of the leaves being brought over to their edge and stepped on once it was close enough. He turned around and waved to the humans. "Come on."

Link quickly jumped onto the leaf, taking a step once on the moving boat to keep his balance as more bodies jumped on. It moved slightly under each person, but continued its way around the pond.

"Wait, this is a puddle!" Oto exclaimed as he looked the way they floated.

Link kept his eye on the water bank they were floating to, letting out a laugh at Oto's discovery.

"It's a pond to us right now," Mido said, kneeling down to look over the edge of the leaf.

"When we get into t'e village, I don't know 'ow t'e ot'ers will react," Tizari warned, stepping over to the edge of the leaf that would hit the edge first. As soon as it started to pass the landing, he jumped off.

Link quickly followed along, looking back once his feet were on dry land to make sure his friends were following.

"I wonder if it was when we had to leave the surface," Zelda mumbled as she looked down the path they were about to take.

"What was that?" Link asked, stepping over to stand beside her.

Tizari walked around them, Mido and Oto instantly following behind.

Link only started walking once Zelda did, following behind the three through an arcade made by bending grass. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Tizari said we disappeared and that caused the rift between our people," Zelda said. "I think it was when Hylia pulled us from the surface."

"Well than this is the perfect time for us to be here," Link said. "Maybe you could bridge the gap between Hylians and Minish."

Zelda looked over at him and smiled. "I hope so, if the inkosi is what I believe him to be."

"Look how big this acorn is!" Oto exclaimed, grabbing their attention forward. Oto leaned down to wrap his arms around an acorn larger than a cucco, looking up at them as he let out a laugh.

"It is a strange sight," Link offered with a laugh. "Two large nuts standing side by side."

"Hey!" Oto exclaimed, standing straight with a smile on his face.

"T'e village i' jus' ahead," Tizari offered.

"Okay, you three," Zelda said, turning her eyes to her friends. "Calm down and behave. This is the first time they've seen Hylians in a few generations. Don't make a bad example."

"What, us?" Mido asked, placing a hand on his chest.

"Especially you," Zelda said, stabbing a finger at his hand.

"Best behavior," Mido said, knocking her hand away. "I promise."

A smile stayed on Link's face as the five walked through the arcade and into what seemed like a town square. Clover edged the walkways as houses made from mushrooms and discarded human trash appeared through the stalks.

"Umama! Bheka lapho!3" a small voice called out.

Link turned to see a Minish only about knee high poking out of a row of clover stalks. He was about to wave until an older Minish stepped out and froze at the sight of the four.

"Buyela endlini, manje4," the mother ordered, swiping the kid out of sight.

"I was afraid o' t'at," Tizari mumbled, having seen the mother and child pair. He looked up at the humans and said, "Inkosi is t'is way."

Silently the four followed him through town, passing a large structure that looked to have been made from a discarded barrel. They turned down a path that led to a mushroom home, Tizari leading them straight inside.

"Bangobani?5" a sharp male voice asked, getting a visible cringe out of Tizari.

Link turned to the voice to see an elder Minish walking down the steps from the second floor of the home. The Minish's ears were long with age, matching the age in his white beard. He stepped off the steps and, with his cane, knocked Tizari in the head.

"That's not needed," Zelda said, jumping forward to try and stop the elder.

"Didn't anyone tell you to let your elders do as they need?" Inkosi demanded, glancing at the girl. He turned back to Tizari and bopped him once more on the head, saying, "That was for going into the large world. Now do you know who you've just brought here?"

"Now come on, sure he shoudn't've gone into the large world, but that octorok came out of nowhere," Mido said in defense.

Inkosi eyed the Hylians a moment before lowering his cane. He turned to Zelda and gave her a bow, "Welcome, Queen Zelda of Hyrule to the Forest Village," Inkosi said.

"Queen?" Tazari exclaimed.

Inkosi glared at him, the small Minish stepping back as he looked down at his feet. Looking back at Zelda, he continued, "I am the leader here, Roseri. I was wondering if the Hylians still remembered us."

"Mostly by children stories," Oto admitted.

"May I ask how you knew who I was or how you know Hylian so well?" Zelda asked.

"Come over here and sit with me," Roseri offered, leading the group over to a set of a table and two chairs. Only once he and Zelda were sitting, Link, Mido, Oto, and Tizari forced to stand beside, did he offer an explanation. "I was at your coronation, though no one would've taken notice of an old man in a cloak. I've seen three coronations now, more than anyone should see in one life time."

"If you were at the coronation, why didn't you make yourself known?" Zelda asked.

"It wasn't time to repair the broken bridge yet," Roseri stated simply.

"I'd like to start that now," Zelda offered, clasping her hands together on the table top. "You live within my kingdom, I like to keep good relationships with everyone inside those boarders."

"And you've been doing a wonderful job of it so far," Roseri said, nodding his head. "Is there a way that, officially, you could come here? I'll need a few days to gather the leaders, but if you're willing to fix what your ancestors damaged so many generations ago, I'm sure I can convince the leaders to come here."

"Kind of obvious this wasn't what we thought we were going to do today, isn't it?" Zelda asked, laughter in her voice as she looked towards her friends standing beside the table.

Link looked down at himself, him wearing his old cream tunic and orange obi, and glanced at Oto and Mido, both wearing conferrable cloths.

"Well, we were looking for the Minish," Oto pointed out.

"Really?" Roseri asked.

"We were following a rumor," Mido added. "Link's Grandfather was the only proof we had you actually existed."

"Link, why does that name sound familiar?" Roseri asked more to himself as he looked at the blonde teen.

"You probably knew him, I'm named after him," Link offered.

"Years ago, when I was still in training to be leader, I snuck out to the large world," Roseri admitted. He turned to Tizari and added, "I got into a heap of trouble for it, but," he looked back at Link, "I ran into a man a little older than you. This must have been just shy of a hundred years ago."

"He would've been about twenty-five then," Link said with a nod of his head.

"I think the whole world knows Grandfather by this point," Oto mumbled just loud enough Link could hear.

1: Inkosi = master/sir/lord

2: Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi = Shrink me down, reduce in size

3: Umama! Bheka lapho = Mom, look!

4: Buyela endline, manje = Get back in the house, now

5: Bangobani = Who are they?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Emzaneni wesintu, ngiphendule usayizi ogcwele1," Link read, holding the book in his hands as he and Zelda stood inside the stump. Once again blue magic surrounded them, the magic turning into characters he now knew as Minish script. He closed his eyes, not wanting the dizzying effect to repeat itself, as he felt himself rise in the air. The magic in the air disappeared, signifying he could open his eyes and see the world back to its proper size.

Link followed Zelda off the stump, swapping spots with Tizari, and stood beside Mido and Oto.

"I be'er ge' back," Tizari said, turning on the stump to look at them. He gave them a smile and said, "Can't wait ta see you next week."

"Wouldn't miss it," Zelda said, smiling back.

Tizari sang the words to bring up the magic around him. He waved as the magic shrunk him down and out of sight.

"You know, this'll give the perfect excuse to start up a new festival," Zelda said, carefully leading the way back to the clearing.

"Everyone'd laugh at the idea of celebrating what's still gonna be labeled as kid stories," Mido pointed out.

"You could use that other name from the book," Oto offered.

"What, call it the Picori Festival?" Link asked.

"You know, I like the sound of that," Zelda said, throwing a smile over her shoulder at the teen behind her.

Link smiled back at her, almost losing his footing as he tripped over a root. He caught himself against a tree and looked up only to watch her retreating form follow the dense path.

The End

1: Emzaneni wesintu, ngiphendule usayizi ogcwele = To the human town, turn me full size.


End file.
